Nearly 800 flights into and out of U.S. delayed ahead of storm
Nearly 800 flights into and out of the United States have been delayed as of Wednesday morning, according to FlightAware. Cancellations into and out of the U.S. were 221.
The interruption comes ahead of major travel days that weather forecasters say will be heavily impacted by a massive storm system.
Shipping companies brace for harsh weather with ‘contingency plans’ to help gifts arrive on time
Satish Jindel, the founder and president of ShipMatrix Inc., which tracks the shipping industry and its efficiency, said carriers such as Amazon, FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service will be shipping on average a combined 100 million packages a day this week leading up to Christmas.
“That’s a lot of packages moving all across the country,” he said.
Jindel said about 70 million packages are shipped in a typical day in the fall.
UPS, FedEx, Amazon and the Postal Service said in statements that their workers are ready.
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Cities open warming shelters and warn residents to prepare for dangerously cold temperatures
Cities throughout the country are opening warming centers this week, including Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Atlanta and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Denver could see its coldest day in 32 years, and officials are advising residents to avoid being outside for extended periods, the National Weather Service tweeted Tuesday.
In Houston, which experienced a deep freeze in 2021 that knocked out power for millions of residents, officials said they hoped this year would not be a repeat.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees about 90% of Texas’ energy production, said changes have been made since then to increase grid reliability and resiliency.
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Ensure outdoor animals, livestock have sufficient shelter, officials warn
The severe weather this week could pose a threat not just to humans, but also to outdoor animals and livestock, officials have warned.
The National Weather Service has warned people to try to stay out of the cold, but also to ensure animals have sufficient shelter.
“Prepare now for extreme cold and ensure outdoor animals and livestock have sufficient shelter,” it said.
Prepare for ‘considerable travel impacts,’ National Weather Service warns
People across the country should be prepared for “considerable travel impacts” as an arctic cold front moves in this week, the National Weather Service has warned.
It also warned that the impact of the cold could be increased if any power outages occur during the winter storm.
Power outages likely
The extreme weather over the coming days is likely to bring power outages across the country.
Peak power outages could be at least into the hundreds of thousands by Saturday morning. Line crews will likely end up spending the holiday weekend attempting to get power back on in minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit wind chills.
The areas of greatest concern for power outages are southern Michigan, northern Indiana, northern Ohio, northeast Pennsylvania and eastern New York.
The National Weather Service has warned that scattered power outages are possible by Friday.
Winter storm to bring far-reaching travel chaos
The coming winter storm is expected to bring far-reaching travel chaos across the United States.
Besides the blizzard, heavy rain and high winds are expected to impact the Northeast starting Thursday and into Friday.
The flash freeze that the cold air could usher in as the rain ends is a major concern. A flash freeze, in which temperatures quickly drop below freezing, can be dangerous for wet roadways. Roads and sidewalks risk becoming ice sheets and could remain that way until road crews can treat them.
The areas of greatest concern for flash freezes are Ohio, Pennsylvania and western New York. There is also a chance the New York City area experiences a flash freeze during rush hour Friday. It will be a close call if the roads dry out in time before temperatures drop below freezing.
Millions of people under winter storm warnings
Millions of people in the United States are under winter storm warnings ahead of what could be the worst pre-Christmas storm in decades.
Many across the country are under winter storm watches, advisories and warnings, while millions are also under wind chill alerts, with the storm expected to bring potentially life-threatening cold to parts of the U.S.
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